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All My Relations. Canada’s Indigenous Peoples. Note:. There are hundred of different Aboriginal cultural groups, each with their own unique history and traditions. The information presented here is a basic generalization to help you understand the background of the stories we will be reading.
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All My Relations Canada’s Indigenous Peoples
Note: • There are hundred of different Aboriginal cultural groups, each with their own unique history and traditions. The information presented here is a basic generalization to help you understand the background of the stories we will be reading.
Who are Canada’s Aboriginals? • Before the Europeans came to North America, there were already hundreds of ancient tribes here • Some people believe that the Aboriginals first came to Canada from Asia, thousands and thousands of years ago
Who are Canada’s Aboriginals? • First Nations • The various Aboriginal cultures in southern Canada and the USA • Inuit • Aboriginals in the Arctic (northern Canada) • Métis • A cultural group with both Aboriginal and European ancestors
Remember: Canada and the USA are European- made countries! This is what North America looks like from an Aboriginal point of view. Fun fact: the name “Canada” comes from an Aboriginal word meaning “village”
What was Traditional life like? • Hunting and gathering • Some were nomadic (moving to follow food) • Others stayed in one place to harvest crops like corn
What was Traditional life like? • Rich artistic & musical traditions blended with rituals (e.g. rain dances, Ojibwe dreamcatchers)
What was important in society? • Honoring the wisdom of elders • Matrilineal society: women as leaders • “Seven Grandfather Teachings”: wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility, truth
The natural world • “All my relations”: a common Aboriginal phrase that represents the connection between humans, animals, and all parts of nature • Nature and animals play a key role in Aboriginal life • All the natural world has life that must be respected, not just humans and animals
Mythology • Origin stories to explain the symbolism of all the world’s phenomena and how humans connect to earth • Animals are often the main figures in the story, and have common personalities through many Aboriginal cultures • Coyote and Raven are usually tricksters
Mythology • Stories are set in a past time, before the world was as it is today • Can include shape-shifters: creatures who can turn into any form they want • Oral stories: they were not written down
The trickster • A god/spirit/magic animal • Sometimes foolish, sometimes wise • Sometimes a hero, sometimes a villain • Causes mischief, but in the end order replaces chaos Today’s trickster: Nanabush, the shape-shifter. Left: A pictograph of Nanabush from a provincial park in Ontario
“The Shivering Tree”: Vocabulary • Conjurer: a person who can make something appear from nowhere, as if by magic • Crystal: a precious stone 水晶 • Juggler: throwing and catching 3 or more objects while always keeping one in the air
“The Shivering Tree” • What two natural phenomenon does the story provide an explanation for? • What moral (lesson) does the story provide? • What qualities of this story are similar to the story of Sky Woman?
Review: What are the 5 elements of literature? • Plot • Character • Conflict • Theme • Setting
Plot • The sequence of events in a story A. Introduction: The start of the story. It introduces the characters and setting. B. Rising Action: A conflict starts to develop and the story gets more interesting. C. Climax: The highest point of action in the story. The conflict reaches its maximum. This is a turning point for the protagonist. D. Falling Action: The conflict is resolved; either the protagonist or the antagonist wins. E. Resolution: “Loose ends” are tied up and the story finishes.
Character • Protagonist: the main character • Antagonist: the person who opposes the main character’s objectives • Often the “bad guy”, but: if the protagonist were evil, the antagonist would be good! • Static Character: a person who does not experience an inner change; he remains the same throughout the story • Dynamic Character: someone who learns and grows throughout the story (protagonist is usually dynamic)
Conflict • A struggle or problem between a character and another person or force Person vs. Person:a person struggles with another character Person vs. Society:a person struggles against traditions, laws, or culture Person vs. Self:a person struggles with right and wrong, or has a difficult decision to make Person vs. Environment:a person must fight against nature/the environment to survive
Theme • The central idea or lesson that a story provides • The theme is an idea that is addressed frequently and in different ways throughout the story—there may be more than one!
Setting Where? • Physical • Location • Cultural • What society? When? • Temporal • Time of day/year • Historical • Time in history
September 12th, 2013 • Community circle • Creation Stories: Good news! • Shivering Tree, plot graph • Point of View • Drama, point of view
The Shivering Tree Day 2: Exploring Elements of Literature
Character • Who is the protagonist? • Nanabush • Who is the antagonist? • The Juggler • Do you think Nanabush is a static or dynamic character? Why?
Conflict • Find an example for each theme: • Person vs. Person • Person vs. Self • Person vs. Environment
Theme • What themes are important in “The Shivering Tree”? • Hint: we talked about this yesterday!
Setting • Physical: where does the story happen? • In nature: there is a river, a forest, and they are close to the mountains • “No human being has come this far” (first page) • Cultural: in what culture is the story set? • Aboriginal (mythology) • Temporal: when does the story happen? • Autumn & Spring • Historical: is this story in the distant past, recent past, present, or future? • Likely the distant past, a time when humans had not yet found every place in the world
Point of View • Author: the person who writes the story • Narrator: the character who tells the story 1st person: “I” • Narrator is the main character, describes his experiences 2nd person: “You” • Narrator speaks directly to the reader 3rd person (limited): “He/she” • The story describes characters actions as if the narrator is watching them, but we can only see the thoughts of one character 3rd person (omniscient): “He/she” • The story describes characters as if watching them, and the narrator can go in and out of any character’s life and feelings